Freezing Potatoes

Cooked potatoes work best for freezing. Fresh potatoes can be frozen but the texture is often altered. Potatoes are often frozen in the form of french fries, shredded potatoes and diced potatoes. This is a guide about freezing potatoes.

Cooked potatoes make the best candidates for freezing. Raw potatoes can be frozen with mixed results, but may develop a watery or grainy texture during freezing. If freezing casseroles or dishes containing unbaked potatoes, it's best to omit them during freezing and add them in fresh later. Cooked potatoes are excellent candidates for freezing and reheating.

Raw (Fresh) Potatoes:

New potatoes work best for freezing raw. Select smooth, firm potatoes from the supermarket or get them directly from the garden. Peel or scrape and wash. Remove any deep eyes, bruises or green coloring form the flesh. Cut into 1/2 inch slices or cubes. Water-blanch for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size. Potatoes should still be somewhat firm after blanching. Cool and drain. Pack in freezer bags leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Label, seal and freeze. Potatoes can also be boiled whole with the skins on before being frozen. Cook until nearly done. Remove, cool and peel off skins. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags. Seal, label and freeze. To prepare, finish cooking in water or microwave.

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French Fried Potatoes:

Use mature potatoes (stored longer than 30 days) for making fresh fried potatoes. Wash and peel potatoes. Cut them into 1/3-inch sticks lengthwise, then crosswise into 3/8-inch strips. Rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly on paper towels. Fry small amounts in deep, hot oil (360ºF) for about 5 minutes. Potatoes should be tender but not brown. Drain on paper towel. Cool. Package, seal and freeze. Store frozen for 2 months. To serve, finish browning in 425ºF oven or fry in oil. Another method is to place the potato strips in a plastic bag with salt and oil. Shake the bag until the strips are fully coated. Bake them in an oven preheated to 425º until they are golden brown. Cool, package and freeze. Store frozen for 2 months. Reheat in oven until warm.

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Hashed Brown Potatoes:

For hashed browned potatoes, prepare as you would to serve, only brown them only to the brown-and-serve stage. Cool and package for freezing. Store frozen for one to 2 months. When you want to use them, finish cooking and browning as you would normally.

Twice Baked or Stuffed Potatoes:

To stuff baked potatoes, remove the cooked potato from the skin, mash it and add seasonings or desired fillings. Return potato to the skin, piling lightly. Wrap each potato with plastic individually, then place in freezer bags. Store in the freezer for 1 month. Potatoes can be removed from wrappers and baked for 30 minutes at 425ºF. After 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, top each potato with grated cheese if desired.

Sweet Potatoes:

Wash and peel. Cook until almost tender. Cool. Leave whole, or cut into halves, slices or mash. Dip halves or slices into a solution of 1/2 cup of lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of ascorbic acid to 1 quart water for 5 seconds. This will keep flesh from darkening. To keep mashed sweet potatoes from darkening during freezing, add 2 tablespoons of orange or lemon juice to each quart of mashed potatoes. Pack in suitable container and freeze.

Suitable Freezer Packaging:

Freezer containers should be moisture and vapor resistant and should not be prone to cracking or breaking at low temperatures. Containers should provide protection against absorbing flavors or odors and should be easy to label. Suitable packaging for freezing potatoes includes freezer-grade plastic bags, rigid plastic containers or glass containers and heavy-duty aluminum foil or foil containers.

Refrigerating Potatoes:

Leftover cooked potatoes can be stored in sealed plastic bags or airtight containers for 2 to 3 days. Fresh, whole potatoes should be placed in a well ventilated container and stored in a cool, dark, moist place for 2 to 4 months. Do not refrigerate potatoes or keep them in plastic bags. Cure home grown potatoes for several days after harvesting in a warm, dark place before storage. This toughens up their skins and extends their storage time.

I wash my potatoes and wrap each potato in a paper towel while it is still wet. Then wrap them together in a dish towel and microwave for 7-10 minutes for 2 potatoes. It works perfect, may need to adjust for your microwave and the size of the potatoes but it's easy, especially for the two of us.

Freezing oil-fried-foods will prevent rancidity, rather than cause it. It is heat that causes rancidity and cool/ cold environments that prevents/ slow it down in oils and oil-containing foods like nuts, seeds and grains.

I have a glass Pyrex dish of patrician potatoes leftover from Thanksgiving. It contains sour cream and cream cheese. Can I freeze this dish? I have unsuccessfully frozen mashed potatoes in the past. The dish is prepared, but has not been baked yet. Thank you.

You are so WRONG. I have not cooked mashed potatoes for Christmas, Thansgiving or any other holiday in years. Sour cream, cream cheese and butter DO NOT separate. I keep twice baked potatoes in the freezer all the time with this recipe for when unexpected company drops by or I am not in the mood to fix potatoes.

I learned that after freezing the mashed potatoes to re-heat them in the oven, stirring them potatoes once or twice (depends on the size of the dish) to keep the content smooth. Worked like a charm. Now if I could only remember to try my head when I open the oven door then my glasses wouldn't fog over.

Did I lose my post, don't see it, hmmm. I had said that it is obvious that they can be frozen without problems., freezer section in your supermarket, but I want to know too, so I am gonna search on the internet.

Peel, soak in water to remove the starch, then slice or cube, dry on paper towel or dish towel. Heat cooking oil just to cover the potatoes and blanch in small portions, cool and store small portions in plastic bags or airtight containers.

I have never had good luck freezing a cooked potato. The water forms ice crystals in the cell of the potato and busts the cell wall. When you defrost you get a lot of water and a lump of starch. Even mashed potatoes loose a lot of water when thawed and the texture is strange. I have tried to use a mixer to put everything back together but it doesn't taste the same.

You might try putting the parboiled potatoes on a cookie sheet with a bit of space between each potato. Place in freezer. After they are frozen, put them into large freezer bags or use a "sealing" machine if you have one, to take the air out of bag. I've done this with raw tomatoes with pretty good success.

This is a guide about freezing sweet potatoes. You can shop of sweet potatoes when they are in season at the farmer's market or on sale at the super market. Now that you have a good number of this tasty tuberous root crop, consider freezing some for later use.

You can even dress them up before you freeze them to save time at din din!

Just split them and add your chives or broccoli, cheese, etc...let it cool, wrap it up in plastic wrap... freeze... then ready, just pop it all in the microwave, nuke it a few minutes....they all vary. Add your sour cream, and viola'!

I myself have not done this but a friend of mine will freeze home made hashbrowns and raw fry type every year. The biggest thing was to cook them a bit not until all the way done, but still firm. If you don't cook them, they will turn black-brown in color.

I was wondering if it is possible to freeze potatoes. Do you have to parboil them, or do any other prep to freeze? I have potatoes that we will not be able to eat before they go bad. I would like to dice them and put them in freezer but need to know how I should go about doing this. Any advice, suggestions, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Potato Chips

I peel and cut potatoes into chip lengths, place in a colander and rinse quickly in cold water and dry well on paper towel. I then blanch potato chips in really hot vegetable oil until tender not brown, drain well and cool quickly in the fridge (not freezer as this takes a lot of the moisture out of the potato and makes them sloppy/mushy) on a tray with greaseproof paper underneath. Once cool I then place desired amounts into freezer bags or a container depending on how many I make. Just make sure you remove all of the air from your freezer bag before freezing. Enjoy

By Kerry

Boiled Potatoes

I boil potatoes with the skin on, (right after I clean them) let them cool down, and then wrap in saran wrap, place in plastic freezer bag and freeze. When you need them for baked pots, leave the saran wrap on, put a small hole in it, and give them about 6 minutes in the microwave. Heat longer if you like. They taste just like they were baked in the over for an hour or longer. Enjoy

Pat Watson

Mashed Potatoes

I have only experience freezing mashed potatoes. I add butter or margarine and milk as usual and about 2 heaping tbs. of sour cream. I find the sour cream is the secret, you can;t tell the difference between these and freshly mashed potatoes. I hope this helps.

By Esther

Mashed Potatoes

I just had mashed potatoes that I had frozen from Thanksgiving and they were fine. I put them in the oven with a meatloaf and heated them at the same time. I also microwave them after freezing and results were the same. I did thaw them completely in the fridge before heating.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

I make twice-baked potatoes (scoop out baked potatoes and mix with milk, butter, cheese, etc). I bake them, then wrap each half for freezing. I have not seen much difference in the frozen and fresh prepared. After all, there are frozen twice baked in the grocery store. I do think that reheating them after frozen works best in a hot oven, rather than microwave.

By Dee

Freezing Potatoes

I have frozen my potatoes every year for the past 6 years. The new potatoes work the best. All you have to do is slightly scrub the peel off and then pre boil them until they are almost done. Still firm but not yet done. Then you drain them and lay them out on a dish towel to cool. After they are cool just bag them in zip-locks and throw them in the freezer! To cook them just put them in a pot with water and finish them. You can also cook them in cream and onions at this point instead of water. They taste like they are fresh from the garden!

Freezing Mashed Potatoes

Try freezing mashed potatoes, then when you need them again making potato patties (usually a breakfast food) or to make potato soup. Why waste good mashed potatoes just cause you won't eat all of them right now.